The Lost Seas

Veiled Alliance

The Veiled Alliance is a decentralized secret society of preservers dedicated to fighting against defilers who would drain the life force of Athas for their own magical ends. The Alliance considers the sorcerer-kings and the Dragon to be the greatest defilers the world has ever seen and holds them personally responsible for the current condition of the world; as such, they have established themselves as one of the preeminent insurgent groups spread across the city-states, and have become a prime target of sorcerer-king ire. Membership in the Veiled Alliance is a crime punishable by death in most city-states, as is assisting a Veiled Alliance member.

The Alliance exists as a string of barely-connected “cells”, with at least one in each major city-state. Veiled Alliance members in one city-state do not know Alliance members in other city-states; in fact, they don’t even usually know how to contact separate Alliance cells. Veiled Alliance members often don’t even really know much about each other within their same cell. This decentralized method of organization means that a sorcerer-king who cracks an Alliance cell cannot use captured members to find other members or other cells.

The Veiled Alliance’s primary goal is the defeat of defilers. It officially has no position on other political issues such as slavery, literacy, and the like, though it may back a cause if it sees potential harm for the sorcerer-kings in it.

Much debate raged in Tyr about the role of the Veiled Alliance in Kalak’s assassination and about the role it should play in the new Tyr. Some say that the assassination was wholly a Veiled Alliance plot, using many players. Some say they merely lent assistance to a plot hatched by alarmed nobles and templars as Kalak’s ziggurat neared completion and his behavior became increasingly erratic. When the Revolutionary Council was formed to rule Tyr, some argued that the Veiled Alliance deserved a seat. Ultimately, though, the Alliance did not (though many whisper that it has great influence over many of those who do have seats on the Council, particularly Sadira of Tyr). More cautious heads prevailed, arguing that to elevate the Veiled Alliance to the Council so openly would be tantamount to a simultaneous declaration of war against the other six city-states, as each host secret Veiled Alliance cells actively engaged in revolutionary activities. The fragile new state of Tyr could not withstand a joint attack by the other sorcerer-kings, they argued. Additionally, the common folk remain suspicious of arcanists, thinking all of them to be defilers, so councilors who rely upon the backing of the Tyrian people cannot throw their lot in with the Alliance too openly. Therefore the Alliance was not officially vested with governing power, although Tithian appears to have issued a quiet order for his city guard not to prosecute, pursue, or persecute use of arcane magic, effectively decriminalizing it in Tyr.

Recently, the Tyrian Veiled Alliance has taken the unprecedented step of Divulgence: in effect, “coming out of the closet” and revealing themselves to the general population of Tyr, joining with the Tyrian armies to repel the advancing Urikite army. Having taken this great risk, the VA will surely expect great rewards when the war has ended—certainly including a seat on the Council.

The shardmind Zuri is a member of the Veiled Alliance and his contact is Tayyip.

Second-rank cellsZiggurat UltraTayyip (knows a contact in Ziggurat, a first-rank cell, and an emergency contact in Iron Hurrum, a second-rank cell)Zuri (knows Sadira, a contact in Ziggurat)
Agma (knows an emergency contact in Purple Argosy, a second-rank cell)Rhey Khal (knows a contact in Ziggurat Ultra Beyond, a third-rank cell, and also an emergency contact in Ziggurat Scion, a second-rank cell)